4 Hip Hop Dance Moves That Will Melt Those Pounds Away

4 Hip Hop Dance Moves That Will Melt Those Pounds Away

Hip Hop is a very popular form of dance and you will see it in many of the exercise videos on the market. It takes a lot of stamina, energy, training, and power to perform these dances, but the payoff is excellent for your portfolio, physical health, and it is just plain fun!

We will run through a few of the many options you have for Hip Hop dance moves, but before we do we should point out that being in good physical shape is very important to achieve these dance moves. Think of the moves as a tool. It is a movement and physical force that corrects a part of the body. Another tool you should consider is the proper dancewear. Dance supply stores are not there for fashion. Tights, leotards, dance shoes, they are made to protect the tendons, muscles, and veins of the body. Wearing imitation dancewear may look cool, but when you strain your muscles or sprain an ankle because of a shoe that was not made to be used on a dance floor, you realize cool was not so important.

One more warning. A lot of bridesmaids or soon to be brides turn to Hip-Hop as a way to drop pounds fast. It will do that for you, but it can hurt you too. Before you go off the deep end, speak to bridal experts at Azazie. Let them know what part of your body is bothering you and let them help. They may have the perfect dress that will completely camouflage your problem area. That is not an endorsement to give up on losing weight. But it may take away the stress you put on yourself.

Okay, now let’s get to Hip-Hop

The Harlem Shake

Since the 1980s The Harlem Shake has been a popular and hot move. It was based on a dance called Eskista, from East Africa. A lot of dancers call it “the drunken dance”. The Harlem Shake has no formal moves. It is the dancer connecting her mind to the music and just letting go. This makes it possible for every dancer to have their own flair and style while staying in the dance.

The Running Man

The only thing more fun than doing this dance is watching people learn this dance. It is great!

Start with your feet together and your arms hanging at your sides. Your starting position is from your side.

Lift your left leg up high. You will bend your knee forming a 90-degree angle. While you are doing this, bend your arms and lift them as if you are actually going to run. Close your fist.

Push down and back with your left leg and lift your right leg following the same motions you did with the left. (bend the knee at a 90-degree angle)

Push down your hands at the same time, relaxing them slightly but keeping a fist.

Repeat this 2-3 times.

Floating

When a Hip Hop dancer is “Floating” they are creating the illusion that they are dancing in the air. The three main moves are:

The float

The glide

Sliding

The entire purpose to make it appear that there is no friction between the floor and the dancer’s shoes.

The Robot

The robot is basically doing anything you would normally do, but in the motion as a robot would do it. It is a series of freeze, turns, and dime stops. You simply stand in a defined straight way and steps, turns, and movements are done with bending only the joints as much as possible. It does not even have to be done in sync with the music. The robot is a dance that fits in with any hip hop program.

It’s important to give yourself sufficient amount of time to get used to the physical work dance requires. Even if you are rushing to lose that extra couple of pounds, having enough rest between trainings is crucial in order to avoid injuries.

Dancing is a beautiful sport and surely has its beneficial effects on the body. Hip hop dance is known for its energetic movements that will surely carry you away and put you into the state of ‘flow’. No matter which style you prefer, your efforts will pay off in only a couple of weeks; not only your body benefits from dancing but your mind and soul too. Enjoy!